Photograph by International Film Service
A MECHANIC REPAIRING ONE MOTOR WHILE THE FRENCH AIRSHIP PROCEEDS UNDER
THE POWER OF ITS TWIN MOTOR ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE
Note the slight blur in the photograph at the end of the shaft at the left, indicating that the
propeller blade is revolving rapidly
of helpless children, women, and old men
to cause panic among the civilian popula
tion of France and England.
From the purely military point of view,
these bombardments are of no value, so
long as they attack only non-combatants
and do not injure in any way the fight
ing forces of the enemy. On the day of
a decisive battle, of what use is it to have
mutilated the civilian population of the
enemy, which takes no effective part in
the fighting?
It follows, therefore, that this practice
should be absolutely forbidden in war.
Furthermore, let it be said that France
and England have made raids on open
cities only in reprisal for German raids
on their cities. Among the most famous
of these reprisal raids is that on Karls
ruhe, in June, 1915-a great success, but
with the loss of two airplanes. Then
again on the same city in August, 1916,
when considerable-destruction was caused
and the moral effects were far-reaching.
This expedition caused the boches to re-
flect and held them in restraint for fear
of further reprisals.
But, I repeat, we have not made a gen
eral practice of these raids, first, because
they have no definite military object, and
also because it is more difficult for us to
reach the German cities than it is for
them to fly over the French and English
cities. In fact, the Germans set out from
French provinces or from the borders of
Belgium, which they'have invaded. The
distance traversed by their machines
when they go to London, for example,
would only carry a French or English
machine over Belgium or our invaded
provinces of Alsace and Lorraine.
In other words, the German cities are
much farther from our lines than the
French and English cities are from the
enemy lines, since we have to cross Bel
gium or our invaded provinces before
reaching the heart of Germany.
But, apart from these expeditions, are
there not purely military objectives that